U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,645 discloses a drying apparatus for drying products which are in the form of liquids or semi-liquids such as colloidal suspensions and the like. The drying apparatus disclosed in the '645 patent comprises a conveyor belt and a plurality of radiant heat sources, such as infrared heaters, that remove moisture from product being conveyed along the conveyor belt. Drying efficiency and the consistency at which product can be dried depend in large part on the ability to apply an even and consistent layer of product having a predetermined thickness onto the conveyor surface. When drying product that contains relatively large pieces of material and/or material that tends to agglomerate or adhere together when handled, such as fruit pulp, it is sometimes difficult to dispense product in a manner that applies an even and consistent layer of material onto the conveyor surface. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved dispensing apparatus, such as can be used to dispense product onto a conveyor surface for drying.